Network hardware devices organized in a wireless mesh network for content distribution to client devices having no internet connectivity

Abstract

Wireless mesh network (WMN) architectures of network hardware devices organized in a mesh topology in which the network hardware devices cooperate in distribution of content files to client consumption devices in an environment of limited connectivity to broadband Internet infrastructure is described. A self-contained, fully connected WMN can be used for localized delivery of content files. One WMN includes a single ingress node for ingress of content files into the wireless mesh network. The WMN also includes multiple network hardware devices wirelessly connected through a network backbone formed by multiple P2P wireless connections. A first network hardware device is wirelessly connected to a client consumption device by a first node-to-client (N2C) wireless connection and a second network hardware device is wirelessly connected to the single ingress node.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system of devices organized in a wireless mesh network, the system comprising:
 a first access point that operates as an only ingress node for ingress of content files into the wireless mesh network via a point-to-point wireless link between the first access point and a server of a content delivery network (CDN); and 
 a plurality of network hardware devices wirelessly connected through a network backbone formed by a plurality of peer-to-peer (P2P) wireless connections in a 5 GHz frequency band, wherein each of the plurality of network hardware devices is an access point for one or more client consumption devices wirelessly connected to the respective access point in a 2.4 GHz frequency band, wherein the plurality of network hardware devices comprises:
 a first network hardware device wirelessly connected to a first client consumption device by a first wireless connection in the 2.4 GHz frequency band; and 
 a second network hardware device wirelessly connected to the first access point via a second wireless connection in the 5 GHz frequency band and wirelessly connected to the first network hardware device through the network backbone in the 5 GHz frequency band, wherein the first network hardware device is to:
 receive a first request for a first content file from the first client consumption device via the first wireless connection; 
 determine that the first content file is not stored at the first network hardware device; 
 send a second request for the first content file stored at the second network hardware device through the network backbone via a first set of zero or more intervening network hardware devices between the first network hardware device and the second network hardware device; 
 receive the first content file from the second network hardware device through the network backbone via the first set of zero or more intervening network hardware devices; and 
 send the first content file to the first client consumption device over the first wireless connection. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first network hardware device is wirelessly connected to a mesh network control service (MNCS) device by a cellular connection to exchange control data. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first network hardware device is further to:
 determine whether the first content file is stored in memory or storage of the first network hardware device; and 
 when the first content file is not stored in the memory or the storage of the first network hardware device, generate and send the second request for the first content file from the second network hardware device through the network backbone. 
 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second network hardware device is to:
 receive the second request for the first content file; 
 retrieve the first content file from the first access point when the first content file is not previously stored at the second network hardware device; 
 send a response to the second request with the first content file retrieved from the first access point; and 
 store a copy of the first content file in memory or storage of the second network hardware device for a time period. 
 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first access point is to:
 receive a request for a content file from one of the plurality of network hardware devices over a P2P wireless connection, wherein the request originates from a requesting client consumption device; 
 determine whether the content file is stored in a storage device coupled to the first access point; 
 generate and send a first notification to the one of the plurality of network hardware devices over the P2P wireless connection when the content file is not stored in the storage device, the first notification comprising information to indicate an estimated delay for the content file to be available for delivery; and 
 generate and send a second notification to an operator of the first network hardware device, the second notification comprising information to indicate that the content file has been requested by the requesting client consumption device. 
 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein a number of the plurality of network hardware devices is greater than fifty. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of P2P wireless connections is a first plurality of wireless local area network (WLAN) connections that operate at a first frequency of approximately 5.0 GHz, and wherein the first wireless connection is a second WLAN connection that operates at a second frequency of approximately 2.4 GHz. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first access point is a miniature point-of-presence (mini-POP) device, wherein the mini-POP device is coupled to a storage device to store the content files as original content files for the wireless mesh network, and wherein the point-to-point wireless link is a microwave link established between the mini-POP device and the server of the CDN. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first access point is to:
 receive a third request for a second content file from one of the plurality of network hardware devices over a P2P wireless connection, wherein the third request originates from a requesting client consumption device; 
 determine that the second content file is not stored in a storage device coupled to the first access point; 
 send a fourth request for the second content file to the server of the CDN via the point-to-point wireless link; 
 receive the second content file from the server of the CDN via the point-to-point wireless link; and 
 send the second content file to the one of the plurality of network hardware devices over the P2P wireless connection. 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first network hardware device is further to:
 receive a third request for a second content file from a second client consumption device connected to the first network hardware device over a third wireless connection between the first network hardware device and the second client consumption device; 
 send a fourth request for the second content file stored at a third network hardware device through the network backbone via a second set of zero or more intervening network hardware devices between the first network hardware device and the third network hardware device; 
 receive the second content file from the third network hardware device through the network backbone via the second set of zero or more intervening network hardware devices; and 
 send the second content file to the second client consumption device over the third wireless connection. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the zero or more intervening network hardware devices of the first set are not the same as the zero or more intervening network hardware devices of the second set. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first network hardware device is to:
 receive the fourth request for the second content file from a fourth network hardware device through the network backbone via a third set of zero or more intervening network hardware devices between the first network hardware device and the fourth network hardware device; and 
 send the second content file to the fourth network hardware device through the network backbone via the third set of zero or more intervening network hardware devices. 
 
     
     
       13. A mesh network architecture comprising:
 a plurality of multi-radio, multi-channel (MRMC) devices organized in a self-contained mesh network, each of the plurality of MRMC devices comprising:
 a first radio for inter-node communications with at least one of the other nodes on a peer-to-peer (P2P) channel in a 5 GHz frequency band; and 
 a second radio for communications with at least one of a plurality of client consumption devices on node-to-client (N2C) channel in a 2.4 GHz frequency band; 
 
 a miniature point-of-presence (mini-POP) device comprising i) a third radio for inter-connection communications with at least one of the plurality of MRMC devices on a P2P channel in the 5 GHz frequency band and ii) a fourth radio for communications with a server of a content delivery network (CDN) via a point-to-point wireless link; 
 a storage device coupled to the mini-POP device, the storage device to store a plurality of content files for distribution to a client consumption device within the self-contained mesh network, wherein the mini-POP device is an only ingress point for the plurality of content files for distribution within the self-contained mesh network, wherein a first device of the plurality of MRMC devices comprises:
 the first radio to wirelessly connect to the client consumption device via a first N2C channel in the 2.4 GHz frequency band to receive a first request for a content file directly from the client consumption device via the first N2C channel between the first device and the client consumption device; 
 the second radio to send a second request for the content file to a second device of the plurality of MRMC devices via a first set of zero or more intervening devices between the first device and the second device to locate the content file within the self-contained mesh network; 
 the second radio to receive the content file from the second device in response to the second request; and 
 the first radio to send the content file to the client consumption device via the first N2C channel. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The mesh network architecture of  claim 13 , wherein the first device is further to:
 store a copy of the content file in a storage device at the first device; 
 receive a third request for the content file directly from a second client consumption device via a second N2C channel between the first device and the second client consumption device; and 
 send the copy of the content file to the second client consumption device via the second N2C channel in response to the third request. 
 
     
     
       15. The mesh network architecture of  claim 13 , wherein the first device comprises a fifth radio to exchange control data over a cellular connection between the first device and a mesh network control service (MNCS) device. 
     
     
       16. The mesh network architecture of  claim 13 , wherein the mini-POP device further comprises the fourth radio to retrieve additional content files from the server of the CDN over the point-to-point wireless link, wherein the point-to-point wireless link is a directional microwave link. 
     
     
       17. The mesh network architecture of  claim 13 , wherein the mini-POP device further comprises at least one of an internal drive to store the plurality of content files or an external drive to store the plurality of content files. 
     
     
       18. A multi-radio, multi-channel (MRMC) device comprising:
 a first radio for inter-node communications with at least one of the other nodes on a peer-to-peer (P2P) channel in a 5 GHz frequency band; and 
 a second radio for communications with at least one of a plurality of client consumption devices on node-to-client (N2C) channel in a 2.4 GHz frequency band; 
 a third radio for communications with a server of a content delivery network (CDN) on a microwave communication channel; 
 a storage device to store a plurality of content files for distribution to a client consumption device, wherein the MRMC device is an access point and an only ingress point for content files for a self-contained mesh network; 
 a processing device coupled to the storage device, the first radio, and the second radio, wherein:
 the first radio to wirelessly connect to the client consumption device via a first N2C channel in the 2.4 GHz frequency band to receive a first request for a content file directly from the client consumption device via the first N2C channel between the MRMC device and the client consumption device; 
 the second radio to send a second request for the content file to a second MRMC device via a first set of zero or more intervening devices between the MRMC device and the second MRMC device to locate the content file within the self-contained mesh network; 
 the second radio to receive the content file from the second MRMC device in response to the second request; and 
 the first radio to send the content file to the client consumption device via the first N2C channel. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The MRMC device of  claim 18 , wherein the processing device is to:
 store a copy of the content file in the storage device; 
 receive a third request for the content file directly from a second client consumption device via a second N2C channel between the MRMC device and the second client consumption device; and 
 send the copy of the content file to the second client consumption device via the second N2C channel in response to the third request. 
 
     
     
       20. The MRMC device of  claim 18 , further comprising a third radio to exchange control data over a cellular connection between the MRMC device and a mesh network control service (MNCS) device.